


Family Curse

by feihu



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: F/M, Gen, Genderswap, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-27
Updated: 2015-01-18
Packaged: 2017-12-24 20:37:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/944389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feihu/pseuds/feihu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a curse placed on an ancestor binds itself to DNA, Sanada's life is turned upside down and inside out. Chapter lengths will vary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

“So, let me get this straight. You’re saying that when I wake up tomorrow, I’m going to be a girl? With all due respect, Mother, have you lost your mind? That just isn’t possible.” Sanada Genichirou looked at his mother like she had just gone off the deep end. There was just no way that a person could go to sleep and wake up the next day as a member of the opposite sex.

Sighing softly, the matriarch of the Sanada family reached out to gently pat the back of her son’s hand. “Look on the bright side, Gen-chan. I’m giving you warning ahead of time. My mother didn’t do that for me. And a friend of mine from before I went through it myself has a clothing store that she’s willing to open early for us so we can get you some clothing before we go speak to your school.”

Sanada paled as he looked at his mother. “You...you mean...” He couldn’t even get the words out of his mouth. 

“Yes, I was. And I had no idea what was going to happen until it did. So I promised myself that I would give my child warning ahead of time if I ended up having two sons.” She hardly blamed him for not believing her. After all, who would ever think that their mother had been morn as a male?

Deciding that it was best to just humor his mother for the moment, Sanada crossed his arms and scowled. “I’m not quitting tennis. And I’m certainly not changing teams.”

“I wasn’t trying to make you quit tennis, dear, and staying on the boys team isn’t up to me. Now, try to get some sleep. Emi-san is expecting us at six to replace your clothes. After that, we’ll go talk to your school.” She felt it went without saying that he would be getting a sick day while everything got taken care of.

Excusing himself to his room, Sanada swore that he would not fall asleep. Changing into sleep clothes for comfort and grabbing a book, he sat at his desk and began to read. He muttered a half hearted reply when his parent came to tell him good night, but made no move to get in bed.

The next thing Sanada knew was that his alarm was beeping on his nightstand. Sitting up and feeling his spine popping in protest, his left hand had already switched off the four a.m. alarm by the time he started realizing some very big issues. Where there should have been a large hand with thick fingers in his field of vision, he now saw a slim hand with long fingers. Feeling more alert thanks to the growing sense of panic, Sanada took a deep breath before trying to figure out what else had changed.

The act of taking that deep breath brought another change to focus. For one thing, it highlighted how differently the old t-shirt he was wearing now fit. Instead of being comfortably snug and stretched over broad shoulders, the cotton garment felt drastically looser except in one place. The fabric strained across his chest, rubbing in a way that was wholly unfamiliar. Never before had his nipples been so very sensitive. With a growing sense of dread, he glanced down to see his chest bulging outward. Feeling faint, he clenched his thighs together, unwilling to reach down and feel with his hands if what he feared was correct. Where he should have felt the resistance of his most intimate parts keeping him from clenching too tightly, there was nothing. Stumbling to his feet, he pulled the waistband of his sleep pants away from his body. Looking down inside him, his eyes rolled back in his head as he crumpled to the floor with a loud thud.


	2. Chapter 1

When Sanada Genichirou next came to, she was laying in bed in the clothing she had already been wearing. The pants were comfortable, the shirt was alright, but the boxer briefs were far from. Hearing someone else in the room, she reluctantly opened her eyes to see her mother emptying her closet and dresser. Sitting up, she finally noticed the state of her hair. The shock of the physical changes had kept her from noticing that the short cropped locks now fell just past her shoulder. Looking back at the woman packing away all her male clothing, she spoke for the first time since changing. “Mother?”

“Oh good, you’re awake. Gen-chan, do you want to see how any of your jeans fit before I pack them all up?” Turning to smile at her son turned daughter, the dainty looking woman folded another pair of socks before putting them in the box.

Cringing at the melodic softness of her voice now, Sanada shook her head. “Can I just go like this?” Under normal circumstances, she would rather be caught dead than leave home in her pajamas, but this was a unique occasion.

“I suppose it’s alright, but just for today. I forgot to tell you that I’ll be leaving you in Emi-san’s care for a little while this morning. I’m driving your father to work today since we need the car more than he does.” Rising from the floor, Sanada Yuuko tucked a lock of hair behind her daughter’s ear as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Nodding in understanding, Sanada couldn’t help leaning into the light touch. Glancing over and catching sight of the time, she was shocked to see that it was already five in the morning. Had it really only been an hour since her alarm had gone off? Knowing that they were on a fairly tight schedule, she was rather glad that she was nearly hungry. Feeling her stomach growl in verification, she gave her mother a nearly pleading look. “I don’t suppose breakfast is ready, is it?”

Grinning brightly, Yuuko stood up and offered a hand to her youngest. “It should be. But you probably need to use the bathroom, I would imagine, so just come to the table when you’re done.” Pulling her daughter up, she hugged the young woman tightly. “Happy birthday, Gen-chan.”

Returning the embrace, Sanada was shocked to feel her lips curling into a faint smile. “Thank you, Mother.”

Entering the dining room once she had complete the embarrassing business of answering nature’s rather demanding call, Sanada was extraordinarily pleased to see that her mother had made her favorite mushroom miso soup that morning instead of regular miso soup. Groaning as her hair kept falling forward over her shoulders, she said her prayer and began eating. Bowing in her seat when her father came to eat as well, Sanada swiped a few extra pickles from the bowl.

Settling down to eat, Sanada Ryuuji did his best not to stare at his youngest. Genichirou had gone from being a strong young man who reminded even him of the samurai of old to looking like a picture perfect Yamato Nadeshiko. Squaring his shoulders, she smiled softly across the table. “Happy birthday, Genichirou. How are you this morning?”

“Ah, thank you, Father. I’m...alright, I suppose. I think I’m still in shock, really. It’s...jarring. I can’t even get over the sound of my own voice, let alone the rest.” Feeling her eyes start to water, Sanada stopped and reached for her rice. She was determined not to cry. At least, not yet, anyway.

Even though he had never been much for physical demonstrations of his love for his family, trusting them to know implicitly how he felt, Ryuuji very nearly gave into the powerful urge to embrace his daughter as he heard her voice nearly break. He stopped himself only because he didn’t want to embarrass her or make it cry, it was hard enough trying to figure out what to do on the rare occasions when his wife cried. Instead, Ryuuji gave his daughter the most comforting look he could manage. “That’s all completely understandable, Genichirou. Just take your time, no one is rushing you to adapt instantly.”

Looking up from her breakfast, Sanada visibly relaxed at her father’s words. It was reassuring to know that she wasn’t expected to be taking it all in stride right away. “Thank you, Father.”

“You’re welcome, Genichirou. You’ll make a good wife, someday.” Ryuuji’s eyes widened as that thought slipped out. And, like a crack in a damn, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from continuing. “Not that I’m trying to force you to suddenly start liking boys, because I’m not. If you prefer girls, that’s perfectly fine, really.”

Listening to her father’s words, Sanada was absolutely certain that her face was going to burst into flames from how much she was blushing. Hearing him stop to take a breath, she interjected before he had a chance to embarrass them both any further. “Actually, I’ve only ever liked boys. And I don’t expect that to change now.”

Is that so? Do you have someone that you like, Gen-chan?” Having been eating her own breakfast in silence, Yuuko grinned teasingly as she leaned forward in her seat.

PIcking her fish apart with her chopsticks, Sanada nodded shyly as her blush spread down her throat.

Just as she was debating pushing the subject more, Yuuko caught sight of the time. “Oh my! We need to hurry up and get ready. I didn’t realize it was so late already.”

Resting her chopsticks back on their holder, Sanada finished her tea and set the empty mug down. “I’m ready to go.”

Seeing how much food was left in front of his daughter, Ryuuji looked at her in concern. “Did you get enough to eat, Genichirou?”

Nodding slightly, Sanad folded her hand in her lap. “Yes, sir. I’m not very hungry.:

With an understanding nod of his own, Ryuuji quickly finished his own food. Putting his chopsticks down on their holder, he smiled at his wife and stood. “Thank you for breakfast. I’ll go get my briefcase and I will be ready to go.”

“We’ll clear the table and meet you at the door. Gentarou can finish the clean up after he, Sasuke-chan and Grandfather have eaten.” Smiling back at her husband, Yuuko started carrying their dishes to the sink. “Gen-chan, go see if there are any shoes that you can comfortably wear to Emi-san’s store.”


	3. Chapter 2

“Ok.” Sanada knew that she would be nearly swimming in any of the shoes that she Would have fit in perfectly even just the night before, but surely something would work. Heading to the genkan, she searched the shoe rack for something that might work. Drumming her toes on the hardwood floor, Sanada pulled out a pair of oversized flip flops and slid them on. While they weren’t the most comfortable thing in the world, they worked for the time being.

Half an hour later, Yuuko pulled up in front of a cute looking boutique. The lights inside were on, and there was a middle aged woman standing at the door. Sanada climbed out of the car after her mother had, and stood awkwardly on the sidewalk as she watched the two women embrace each other.

Yuuko smiled brightly as she hugged her old friend. “Emi-chan! How are you this morning?”

“I’m doing just swell, Yuu-chan. Now, I’m still bound to the price limit we set earlier, right? And where is the birthday girl?” Emi went straight to business as the hug ended. She remembered how hard it had been for Yuuko to adjust, and if there was anything she could do to ease the transition for her old friend’s daughter, she would do so happily.

Motioning Sanada forward, Yuuko nodded in response to Emi’s first question. “Yes on the limit, and I’ll be leaving Gen-chan in your hands for a little while. I need to drive my husband to work. But I will be back as soon as I can.”

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Sanada bowed slightly. “It’s nice to meet you. Please take good care of me.” She was operating almost totally on some sort of autopilot so far that morning. It was the only reason why she hadn’t completely broken down in hysterics yet.

Bowing in return, Emi did her best to comfort the girl in front of her. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Why don’t we go ahead and get started, hm?” Waving at Yuuko as the other woman drove away, Emi let Sanada inside the store and locked the door behind them. Leading the teen to the cashwrap, the shop owner picked up a tape measure that she’d laid on the counter before speaking again. “Before we get started, would it be alright for me to call you Gen-chan? Or would you prefer Sanada-chan?”

“The first one is fine...Emi-san.” Sanada’s tone was full of reluctance and resignation. Looking around at all the racks of clothing, she could hardly comprehend what she was seeing. Everything was just so...pink. Giving the woman a look of apprehension, Sanada swallowed thickly. “You do have things that aren’t pink, right?”

Smiling slightly, Emi nodded. “Yes, I do, don’t worry. Now, I’m going to have to get very personal for a moment, I need to get some measurements.” Unrolling the tape measure, Emi made sure there was a pen and notepad close by. Starting with Sanada’s shoulders, she took every measurement she could think of needing. Jotting everything down, Emi knew from years of experience exactly what sizes Sanada would need.

Getting measured had been more than just mildly uncomfortable for Sanada, with the bust and inseam figures proving to be the most so. Still, she hadn’t made a fuss or moved away. Mentally, she just compartmentalized everything. There was too much yet for her to do to have time to break down. That would come later, in private. As Emi stood up and put the tape measure down, Sanada began to fidget ever so slightly. “So, um, what now? Where do we start?”

“With the most embarrassing things first. Let’s find you some proper undergarments so you can browse for the rest of your clothing in comfort.” Flashing an apologetic smile, Emi grabbed her sheet of notes before leading Sanada to the intimates section of the store. Picking out an armful of items, Emi handed them to the teen outside the fitting room. “I want you to try on everything. Start with the underwear, and let me know when you’re ready on the bras. I want to show you what kind of a fit to look for, ok?”

Nodding slowly, Sanada looked more than just a little overwhelmed at everything in her hands. Stepping into the fitting room, she sorted the items by type. Focusing on what she was doing, she stayed in the fitting room for nearly twenty minutes. When she came out, she felt much more comfortable from the waist down, which was a plus. Seeing that her mother had returned while she’d been changing, Sanada carried out all the undergarments that she’d tried on and took them to the front counter in two piles. “Um, the smaller pile is all the ones that I liked. The bigger pile are the ones I don’t want.”

Moving the larger pile to a spot behind her to be dealt with later, Emi exited the cash wrap with a smile. “Ready to try on bras?”

Sanada gave a sheepish nod before heading back to the fitting room. Without shutting the door, she grabbed one of the little hangers at random and began trying to untangle the straps to get the flimsy garment free.

Slipping into the fitting room with the tall young woman, Emi was all business. “Did you take the tag off the underwear you have on?”

Looking around the small room, Sanada spotted the small piece of paper with the barcode on it. “Ah, it’s right here. Sorry.” Picking it up, she handed the paper over before removing her shirt.

Wandering the store as Emi helped her daughter in the fitting room, Yuuko started picking out tops and pants that she thought Sanada would like. Emi had jotted down what sizes to look for, as well as the warning to avoid pink. Yuuko could hardly blame her child for wanting to avoid the color, and strove to pick items more in the tomboy range. Most of the shirts were in shades of blues, greys, or greens; while the pants varied between khaki, dark jeans, or black dress pants. She did see a yellow and black paired tennis outfit that she thought Sanada might like, so that went in the pile as well. When she finally had so much that she could barely hold it all, Yuuko carried everything over to the fitting room just in time for Emi to come out with an armful of bras, Sticking her head inside, she smiled softly before stepping all the way in. “Hey, Gen-chan. I grabbed some things that I think you might like. I want you to try everything on, and just take the tags off what you want to wear when we go talk to the school.”

Boggling slightly at the size of the pile her mother had shoved onto the small bench, Sanada nodded. “O-ok. I don’t have to come out and show you and Emi-san everything, do I?”

“No, that won’t be necessary. Just base it on your own comfort. When you’re done with this part, we’ll get you a few pairs of shoes and some socks.” Chuckling as she shook her head, Yuuko left her daughter alone and went to go catch up with her old friend.


	4. Chapter 3

By the time Sanada was helping her mother load all the bags of clothing and shoes into the trunk of the car, it was nearly nine thirty in the morning. Stunned that it had taken so long just to get new clothing, the young woman quietly got in the car. She had no idea how her mother intended to convince the school that she was who she claimed to be, but she knew how to convince her two closest friends. Biting her lip as her mother got in the car, Sanada spoke hesitantly. “Mother, I have a question. How will we convince the school that I am who I say I am?”

“I already told them. This meeting is just to fill out new paperwork for you.” Watching for traffic, Yuuko pulled out and started heading toward Rikkai’s campus.

Her mother’s answer shocked and angered Sanada. “How long have they known?”

Yuuko sighed. She had hoped that they could put this conversation off until they got home, but that was clearly not going to happen. “I went up to talk to the principal and your homeroom teacher at the beginning of this school year. I didn’t want to have to, but I was running out of time. And I had evidence with me that proved my point.”

“Running out of time on what?” Crossing her arms, Sanada glared out of the windshield

“Running out of time to try to break this curse so you wouldn’t be going through this right now. I never wanted you to have to live through this the way I did, Genichirou.” Yuuko’s voice was tinged with sadness as she focused on the road.

“So why did you wait so long to tell me? I mean, you’ve known my entire life that this would happen, haven’t you?” There was no small trace of hurt in Sanada’s voice as she glanced over at her mother.

“Sweetheart, I’ve been trying since before you were born to break this curse. And I know I should have said something sooner, but it just...felt like admitting defeat. Telling you meant I had failed to save you. Yesterday was my last shot, and even that fell through. I’ve been doing everything in my power to prevent this, and I didn’t want you to have this hanging over your head your entire childhood. So that’s another reason I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry, Genichirou.” Blinking back tears, Yuuko turned onto the street that would take them straight to Rikkai.

Averting her eyes to her lap, Sanada picked at the flap covering one of the pockets on the cargo pants she was wearing. “It’s...it’s alright, Mother. I never knew you were working so hard on this.”

Reaching over, Yuuko squeezed one of Sanada’s hands gently. “Good. I’m glad I was at least able to protect you from that much. I wanted to make sure that you could enjoy your childhood as much as possible.” Pulling into a parking space, she shut the engine off and took a deep breath. “Gen, you need to think about what you’ll do if they won’t let you stay on the boy’s tennis team. Since there’s a girls’ team, it’s not likely that they’ll let you keep playing with your friends.”

“I’m not playing on the girls’ team.” Sanada’s face slid into a scowl.

“Why not?” Furrowing her brow, Yuuko turned to take a good look at her daughter.

Unbuckling her seatbelt, Sanada crossed her arms, inadvertently pushing her chest up. “Because they’re terrible! Most of them only joined so they can watch the boys team play. I refuse to be expected to carry that whole team just because I have real skills.”

Getting out of the car, Yuuko got ready to go in and get things taken care of. “That doesn’t tell me what you intend to do.”

Sighing as she followed her mother, Sanada hung her head and shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t want to lose my friends.”

Yuuko wove her arm around her daughter’s as they walked up to the front door. “I understand that, dear. I’m sure we can figure something out.”

Ten minutes later, Sanada and her mother were sitting in the principal’s office with the boys and girls tennis coaches as well as her homeroom teacher. Fidgeting slightly, the young woman warred within her mind about voicing a request. Gathering her courage, she looked up at the teachers sitting across from her. “Ano...would it be possible for me to speak with Yanagi and Yukimura?”

The principal smiled gently and nodded. “Of course, Sanada-chan. I’ll have them called in here, and we’ll go to the admissions office to get your new paperwork taken care of.”

Standing up, Sanada gave the principal a low bow. “Thank you, sir.”

Smiling kindly, the principal stood and walked to his desk. Calling the secretary, he told her who to have sent up to his office. “If you like, we can all stay for a few moments, Sanada-chan.”

Sitting back down, the teen fought the urge to pick at her nails. Glancing up at the principal’s offer, she nodded. “Yes, please. Just for a moment at least, so they might believe me more.”

“So, Sanada-chan, you’ll be joining the girls team now, yes?” Miura-sensei was nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet as she looked at the young woman expectantly.

“Sumimasen, Sensei, but I refuse.” Sanada’s eyes were expressionless as she looked at the female coach.

Nitou-sensei, who also happened to be Sanada’s favorite history teacher, frowned slightly. “You do know that I can’t let you stay on the boys team, right?”

Nodding in understanding, Sanada looked up at him from her seat. “Hai, I know. I was hoping I could become the team manager instead, Sensei.”

Nitou smiled warmly. “I see no problem with that, Sanada-chan. I might even leave you in charge of the regulars.”


	5. Chapter 4

Before Sanada could reply, her two best friends walked into the room. She sat silently as her mother told the two boys about the curse. Seeing the skeptical look on Yukimura’s face made her uncomfortable as nerves gnawed at the pit of her stomach. Yanagi, shockingly, seemed to believe what he was hearing.

Once all the adults had left the room, Yukimura turned to the beautiful young woman he had been told was one of his best friends. “You’re really Genichirou?”

“Yes, I am. I can prove it to you, Seiichi.” Sanada’s voice was still fairly low, though it was very obviously female. Sitting next to Yukimura, Yanagi did his best not to show how the sound of it sent chills down his spine.

Quirking an eyebrow at the young woman, the blue haired boy nodded. “Alright then. Prove away.”

Rising from her seat, Sanada stepped over to Yukimura.Leaning down, she whispered in his ear. Once she was done, she leaned back to look down at him. “Believe me now?”

“Yep. I’m sold.” Yukimura was somehow blushing and going pale at the same time. The contrast made Sanada want to laugh, though the sound held no humor in it. In fact, it reminded the tennis team captain of cracks radiating through a pane of glass.

Yanagi stayed silent through the exchange between his best friends. He’d heard of curses before, and had researched them. So what had happened was slightly less shocking for him to imagine or believe. Looking at the young woman, he sighed sadly. “They aren’t going to let you stay on the boys team, are they, Genichirou?”

Standing up straight, Sanada wrapped her arms around her stomach and turned away. Pausing halfway between the window and the principal’s desk, she finally answered Yanagi. “Not as a player, no. I’ll be the team manager, I’ve already got Sensei’s approval. So now in addition to having my life and my body irrevocably altered, I’m being forced to give up one of my biggest passions because I am in no state to handle the pressure of being expected to carry the girls team to anything remotely resembling a decent show at even the lowest tournament! And that is going to further strain the rest of my friendships. Just because it was easy to convince the two of you doesn’t mean that anyone else will believe me. I’m already going to be the laughingstock of the school from this.” A bark of sardonic laughter fought its way free of her throat before she could stop it. Covering her mouth with both hands, Sanada’s fram visibly shook as she fought to keep her composure.

Rising from the couch, Yanagi walked up to Sanada. Stepping in front of her, he took one look at her face before pulling her into a tight hug. “Genichirou, if you need to cry, do it. Crying is a natural reaction to intense emotions, it is nothing to be ashamed of. And I promise you that neither Seiichi or I will think anything less of you for it.”

Yanagi’s words hit Sanada hard. Wrapping her arms around his back, the distraught young woman clung to him like a lifeline. As much as she still fought to keep her composure, she couldn’t have stopped the sob that wrenched itself free of her throat if her life had depended on it. Like a wrecking ball, that sob destroyed the last vestiges of Sanada’s control. As tears started streaming down her cheeks, she would have crumbled to the ground if Yanagi hadn’t been supporting her weight.

Feeling Sanada’s legs go out from under her, Yanagi slowly lowered himself to the floor. Once he was on his knees with the crying girl practically in his lap, his long fingered hands smoothed over her back and shoulders. Rocking gently from side to side, he held Sanada silently as she broke down. He knew that everything had to be just utterly overwhelming for her, but there was nothing he could do about it. And he hated that.

Yukimura felt stuck in place, and he despised the feeling. His best friend since the age of four was suffering so much, and he just felt like a statue. Racking his brain for something to do to help, the indigo haired boy couldn’t help remembering when he’d been so horrifically ill just over a year ago. When the doctors had told him he would never be able to play tennis again, Yukimura had made himself physically ill from crying so hard. Forcing himself to his feet, he moved to attempt to locate the principal’s trash can. Finding the metal mesh bin tucked in a corner behind the impressive desk, he was quite relieved to see a plastic liner in it. Grabbing a box of tissues as well, he moved to kneel behind Sanada.

Looking up to meet Yukimura’s eyes, Yanagi looked almost as pained as the crying girl in his arms. He had hated feeling so powerless when the boy across from his had been nearly on death’s door, but that same sensation felt so much worse at the moment. Pressing his face into the dark hair tucked beneath his chin, he knew that he would do whatever it took to see Sanada smile again.

Feeling the bile rise to the back of her throat, Sanada shoved Yanagi away harshly and clapped a hand over her mouth. Without looking up, she gripped the trash can that Yukimura pressed into her hands and bent over it. As the breakfast that her mother had made several hours ago made a violent reappearance, she was vaguely aware of a pair of hands holding her hair back as another stroked her back soothingly. Relaxing some once the bile settled in her stomach, the young woman reached for the offered box of tissues. Face wiped and stomach empty, she sagged sideways back into Yanagi’s firm embrace.

Resting his cheek against her hair, Yanagi held Sanada close. He wasn’t very good at handling people getting sick, but his own nausea was surprisingly easy to ignore at the moment. Rubbing her arm gently, he spoke softly. “Feeling better, Genichirou?”

“Mm...tired now.” Yanagi was warm and sold beneath her cheek as Sanada leaned heavily against his chest.

Reaching over to tuck a bit of hair behind her ear, Yukimura offered his best friend a faint hint of a smile. “It’s going to work out, Genichirou. You’ll see. We’ll do everything we can to help you.”

Sanada turned dull eyes to Yukimura. “Does that include telling the team before everyone comes over tonight? Akaya, too?”

Moving the trash can out of the way, Yukimura scooted forward to wrap his arms around Yanagi. This squished Sanada between them both, which had been his intention all along. “Akaya, too. And I’ll make sure they know how much trouble they’ll be in if they give you any grief over it.”

Dull eyes brightened just a bit as Sanada found herself sandwiched between her best friends. “Thank you. Both of you. I’m not sure what I’d do or how I’d cope without you two.”

Smiling gently, Yanagi squeezed Sanada just a little tighter. “Good thing you won’t have to try. Even if you can’t play on the team, you are still a member of the team. That won’t ever change. Though at least now when you start getting too grumpy and short tempered, it might be possible to buy your good graces with aspirin and chocolate.” His smile notched a little wider as the tone in the data player’s voice turned playful at the end.

Since she couldn’t look up at Yanagi to scowl at him, Sanada settled for pinching the back of his arm. “Tarundoru. Just because that works on your sister doesn’t mean it’ll work for me.”

Pulling back just a little, Yukimura smothered a grin as he Looked Sanada in the eye. “Not even if it’s some of that milk chocolate cake with matcha icing from your favorite cafe?”

“Shush. Don’t tempt me unless you’re planning to bring me one tonight.” As much as she tried to resist, Sanada could feel the beginning of a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

“If cake is what you want, cake is what we will bring you.” Seeing a little bit more light return to Sanada’s eyes made Yukimura grin and hug her again.

The warm embraces from her friends drew more tears from Sanada, though they were more from relief that they still cared so much for her. The sight of her hugging them back as much as she could while trapped sideways between them was what Yuuko and the principal returned to. Looking up at the adults, the young woman reached for a few more tissues to wipe the tears from her face. Rising to her feet, she sniffles and bowed to the principal. “Sorry for getting sick in your trash can, Sir.”

“Better my trash can than the carpet or yourself, Sanada-chan. Are you feeling better now?” The middle aged man smiled warmly and put a hand on her shoulder as she stood back up.

Nodding firmly, the young woman took a deep breath as she tried to regain her sense of calm. There were tear tracks down her face, and her cheeks were red and splotchy from having cried so much. Looking at the principal, she couldn’t help fidgeting slightly. “I don’t have a girls uniform yet, but I can get one. How much school will I be missing?”

Stepping over to her daughter, Yuuko stroked Sanada’s hair gently. “You’ll be back in class tomorrow. We’re going to stop and get your new uniform on the way home. Do you think you’re up for some lunch, honey?”

“Yeah, I’m really hungry, actually.” The touch was gentle and comforting, causing Sanada to lean toward her mother some. Behind her, Yukimura cleared his throat as he and Yanagi stood up again. “Sanada-san, is it still alright for us to come over this evening with the others?”

“Well, you won’t be able to spend the night, but if Gen-chan is alright with it, then it’s fine with me. The usual suspects, right?” Yuuko turned to look at Yukimura with a smile. He and Yanagi were over so much that they almost felt like her two extra sons at times. Of course, the fact that Yanagi’s older sister was already her daughter in law helped, too.

“Yep! We’ll bring cake, and probably ice cream for everyone, too.” Smiling brightly, Yukimura nodded at the woman who was practically his second mother.

Chuckling, Yukko walked over to reach up and ruffle the team captain’s hair. “I’ll leave that up to you boys, then.” Turning back around, she and Sanada excused themselves and left.


	6. Chapter 5

After having excused themselves as well, Yukimura and Yanagi got a head start on lunch before settling on the rooftop to wait for the others. All of the regulars from their middle school team except for Akaya knew to meet there as often as possible. As the two doubles pairs emerged several minutes after the sound of the school bell, Yukimura frowned at the outline of a pack of cigarettes that he could see in Yagyuu’s pants pocket.

Dropping to the ground, Niou scratched at his scalp where the bleach residue from a few days prior still burned and irritated his skin. “Yo. Where’s the birthday boy?” Next to him, Yagyuu opened a plastic grocery sack and passed over half the contents to the trickster before pulling out his own food.

Tearing a piece off of his melon bread, Yanagi sighed softly. “Something has happened to Sanada, actually.”

Before the data player could get another word out, Marui jumped in. “What happened? Was he in some sort of accident? He’s not dead, is he? What hospital is he at?”

“Stop! Sanada is alive and perfectly healthy!” All the mention of catastrophic circumstances made Yukimura snap at his friends.

Shoving a cupcake into the redhead’s mouth, Jackal frowned. “So what happened to Sanada, then?”

Yanagi and Yukimura looked at each other for a moment. Neither of them were exactly sure how to explain things, but they knew they needed to figure it out. Sighing again in resignation, Yanagi pursed his lips before starting. “It seems that there is a hereditary curse that is passed through Sanada’s female ancestors. Any second son born to a woman of this lineage is affected on their sixteenth birthday.”

Pursing his lips as his fingers twitched for the pack in his pocket, Yagyuu cleared his throat as quickly as he could manage. “What did the curse do to him?”

“Sanada has been turned into a girl. Presumably, a fully functional one at that.” Yanagi sounded detached and conflicted over the matter. He missed the friend he’d just seen yesterday afternoon, but the girl who’s tears were still drying on his shirt had evoked feelings in him he hadn’t been aware of possessing.

There was a sort of sad smile on Yukimura’s face as he picked up from there. “Naturally, Sanada will no longer be a playing member of the team. She will, however, be our manager. I’m going to try and work it out so that she can still practice with the team, though.”

“So basically, we’ll be put through hell for about one week a month, and we won’t be able to put Sanada’s name on tournament rosters. And anyone with the stones to want to date...her, goes through us, right?” Though there was a heavy thread of uncertainty in Marui’s voice, he did his best to just roll with the changes.

With his eyes on the two remaining demons, Niou smirked mentally at the way Yanagi’s face pinched in for a fraction of a second. Flicking his eyes to Yukimura, he knew that the blue-haired boy had seen that, too. Pulling his hair tie out to fix his hair, the trickster looked at his captain. “So, we’re all chipping in on ice cream, right? And who’s gonna tell the brat?”

Giving into temptation, Yagyuu stood and moved just a bit away from the others. Pulling the half full pack of Pall Malls from his pocket, he tapped the top of the small box down against his palm. Tucking a single cigarette between his lips, the gentleman lit it quickly before dropping the lighter back into the pack. Inhaling a lungful of smoke, Yagyuu pocketed the pack and spoke. “It all seems so highly improbable, doesn’t it? That such a curse exists to this day. I used to read about magic and curses when I was little, so I know how much less magic there is in the world now than there used to be. I guess I just figured curses faded and broke after enough time.”

Sighing, Yukimura frowned at the standing boy. “You know I don’t approve of you smoking, Yagyuu.”

“Hence why I am over here instead of blowing smoke in everyone’s faces.”

Rolling his eyes, the blue haired teen turned his focus back toward Marui and Niou. “Marui, that is my goal as far as tennis goes. I’m sure Nitou-sensei will be willing to allow it, too. I’m quite certain that Renji already has a few ideas how to make that one week a month a little more tolerable for Sanada and for the rest of us. And Niou, yes. I expect everyone to chip in for both cake and ice cream for Sanada’s birthday tonight. I plan on sending Renji to go and speak with Akaya as opposed to attending practice. I’d go myself, but it wouldn’t look very good to have both Sanada and myself gone on the same day so early in the year.”

“Not to mention that the second and third years are still sore over being beaten by a group of first years. But now you’ll really have to pick someone to fill in one of our open slots. It was fine when we only had one opening, but we can’t compete with only six players.” Jackal had a bit of a rueful smile on his face as he pulled out his wallet. Fishing out a few hundred yen, he looked back up almost sheepishly. “Who’s in charge of getting the cake and ice cream?”

“I will be. I’ll already be out, and it won’t be any trouble. Yanagi wadded up the wrapper from his bread and shoved it in his pocket. One by one, everyone handed over their pocket money to put toward the noble cause of cake and ice cream.

The rest of the hour was mixed between eating and theorizing how much things would change within the team. Yukimura spoke quietly with Yanagi about who would be the best choice to fill Sanada’s position in their lineup, though neither of them wanted to. They decided that a third year would be their best bet since that was the only way to prevent hurt feelings and unnecessary bullheadedness for next year. There weren’t many seniors that were good enough to be regulars while actually being willing to follow a first year as their captain, so the list was very short. By the time the six boys had to head back to class, Yukimura had it narrowed down to three choices.


	7. Chapter 6

Back at home, Sanada’s afternoon was not nearly as peaceful as she had hoped. Tears were pricking her eyes near constantly, and she kept having stray thoughts that threatened to stop her breath out of shock. Never before had she cared what colors looked good together, or how her body looked in a particular cut of clothing, but thoughts like that kept popping up as she put away her new clothing as it came back from being washed. Sinking down on her bed, she curled around a pillow. Just as she started feeling calmer and more centered than she had all day, her phone began playing Atobe’s ringtone. Sighing harshly, she reached over and flipped the mobile open. “Moshi moshi.”

“Sanada?” There was a puzzled note in Atobe’s voice, detectable in just one word. “What’s the matter with your voice?”

“It’s kind of a long story, Atobe.”

“I’ve got time. I had called to wish you a happy birthday, but I assume that would not be a welcome sentiment at the moment.” Despite the leaden dread in the pit of his gut, Atobe tried to tell himself it was nothing. Perhaps Sanada was just not feeling well.

“You’ve got time, huh? You’ve got time to hear about how some curse placed on an ancestor of mine stayed and has hit the second son of every woman in the bloodline? So that must mean that you have time to hear me tell you that I fell asleep last night as a guy, but woke up this morning as a girl. And you have time to listen to me mourn the fact that I can’t play on the same team as my best friends anymore. That all I have of tennis is being a team manager and praying that Nitou-sensei will let me participate in practice. That the girl’s team is such a farce that playing with them is worse than not playing at all. You’ve got time for all of that, right?” Sanada’s voice had started out calm, quiet, and more than just a bit sarcastic. By the end of her tirade, she was pacing her room and in the early stages of an anxiety attack. Her breath hitched, there were tears on her face again, and while she was painfully reluctant to admit it, all she wanted was a damn hug.

Well. That was...not at all what he had been expecting. Scrubbing a hand over his face, Atobe struggled to formulate a proper reply. “Ok. For starters, stop and breathe. You’re going to pass out or make yourself sick if you keep this up.”

Dropping onto her bed again, Sanada took several shuddering breaths before grumbling into the phone. “Already made myself sick once today. That’s enough, thanks.”

In your shoes, I’m rather certain I’d agree.” Atobe managed a little smile. Sanada already sounded a bit more like him-, sorry, herself. “While I was quite serious about having more than enough time to talk with you, I think this is a conversation best held in person. Have you got plans tonight?”

“Yeah, my friends are coming for dinner, and movies after with cake. Sanada bit her lip, questioning the suggestion in her mind for a moment. “What about during tomorrow’s training matches?”

“Yes, that will be perfect. I’ll let the others have a chance to play so that you and I can talk.” Smiling a fraction wider, Atobe nodded to himself. “I’ll bring plenty of tissues, too, so you needn’t feel pressured to hold back your emotions.”

“Good. I can’t seem to stop wanting to cry. I’m already sick of it.” Raking a hand through her hair, Sanada choked back a fresh round of tears.

Sighing softly, Atobe spoke as gently as he could. “While I am hardly an expert on biochemistry or the endocrine system, I think it is a safe bet that some of that is due to hormones. Your body has gone from producing large amounts of testosterone for years to producing large amounts of estrogen. The imbalance is bound to create problems. You needn’t, and shouldn’t, blame yourself for that.”

Sanada bit her lip to stifle a manic giggle. “I suppose you’re right. I just…”

“Hadn’t thought of it that way? It’s certainly understandable. Now your team will be over later to console you, which is good because it saves me from having to lecture them on how not to be inconsiderate scum, so be open and honest with them. I don’t promise that they’ll handle it perfectly, but they do care about you, Sanada. Let them show you how much.” Atobe felt a little silly for saying all that, but it was true. “I hope you manage to salvage some enjoyment out of the day.

Sniffling softly, Sanada actually had to smile at Atobe’s well wishes. Bidding him farewell, she reached to turn on her radio so that the music could drown out the sound of her crying. She deserved to be weak for a day.


	8. Chapter 7

Back at Rikkai, Yanagi had done as instructed and excused himself to go speak with Akaya in lieu of participating in practice. As soon as they had finished speaking, Akaya knew exactly what he should do. Telling his vice captain and coach that he had to go, the captain of Rikkai’s middle school team gathered up his things and left. Since he hadn’t even had a chance to start warming up, he didn’t need a shower, which was absolutely a bonus in terms of saving time. Hurrying home as quickly as he could, the boy changed into street clothes and grabbed the gift bag on his desk. Akaya shoved his wallet, phone, and house keys into his pockets as he fumbled to put his shoes back on so he could dart out the door.

By the time he had reached Sanada’s house, Akaya was feeling a bit out of breath. But then again, that was his own punishment for running the entire way at full speed. Bowing in gratitude as Sanada-san told him where to go, the teen marched into his senpai’s room without blinking. Seeing the dark haired girl curled up in bed with tear stains on her face made his chest constrict painfully. It just wasn’t right for anyone to look so downtrodden, especially Sanada Genichirou. Walking over to the bed, Akaya held the gift bag out like a peace offering. “Here you go, Fukubuchou. I hope you like it.”

Sanada sat up slowly and wiped her face with the sleeve of a hoodie she’d managed to save from her old wardrobe. Clearing her throat, she took the bag with a small sigh. “I’m not your Fukubuchou anymore, Akaya. You don’t have to call me that.” Peering into the gift bag, she dug through the tissue paper to pull out a cute stuffed dragon. The little dragon was red in color, with a shiny material for the wings and pads of its feet. It had incredibly soft fur, and the most soulful gold eyes she’d ever seen on a plush toy. A tremulous smile graced Sanada’s lips as she looked up at Akaya. “Thank you. It’s cute.”

Akaya beamed at Sanada before plopping down onto the bed. “I’m glad you like him.” Scooting closer to his senpai, the curly haired boy wrapped his arms around her stomach and hugged her. “Senpai-tachi aren’t giving you enough hugs today.”

Sanada shifted enough to hug Akaya back without knocking them both to the floor. “I’ve only seen Renji and Seiichi today aside from you, and they had to deal with me crying hard enough to puke.”

Frowning softly, Akaya snuggled as close as he could. “Still, you deserve all the hugs you can handle. You’ll feel better that way.” Biting his lip, the middle schooler hesitated a moment before continuing. “Can I tell you a secret, Senpai?”

“Of course you can, Akaya. I’m your senpai, you can always confide in me.” Resting her cheek on Akaya’s mop of curls, Sanada did her best to be supportive. Hopefully, this would be a sufficient distraction from the self deprecating mood she’d been in all day.

Pulling away from the hug, Akaya moved to sit cross legged on Sanada’s bed. He was fidgeting some as he took a deep breath and spoke. “You aren’t the only one who’s cured. Mine happened way back before I was born, but not nearly as long ago as yours. See, I guess there was this temp worker at my dad’s office that fell in love with him and got scarily obsessed with him. She was convinced that Dad would leave my Mom for her, and refused to accept the fact that they had always had a great marriage and already had a child together. It kind of came to a head when my dad was bragging to his coworkers that Mom was pregnant with me. This lady just lost it, from what I’ve heard. I don’t know exactly why, but I can only guess that she thought that by trying to curse my Mom into a miscarriage and infertility, she’d destroy their marriage and get my Dad once and for all. Lucky for me, she was an idiot and used the wrong curse; instead of killing me, she wound up binding a demon to my soul.”

By the time Akaya was stopped for breath, Sanada was sitting with her back against the wall with her pillow behind her as a cushion. Holding her new dragon, she idly toyed with the wings as she looked right at her kohai. “You have a demon in you?”

Picking at a bit of imaginary fuzz on his pants, Akaya gave a hesitant smirk. “Well, yeah. You didn’t think my red-eye and devil modes were natural, did you? Those are him. That’s why I have at best a fuzzy memory of what happens when I’m in full devil mode. He’s in complete control.”

Sanada’s eyes narrowed a bit. “Can you keep him in line now? You can’t go pro if he’s going to come out and brutalize people whenever he pleases.”

“Yeah, at U-17 he finally mellowed. See, he’s pretty protective of me, and I’ve been teased most of my life over my hair and stuff. Tennis was something that made us both strong, and it was a way for him to get revenge for me. It sounds stupid, but having Shiraishi-san actually compliment my hair when I played doubles with him is what did it. He’s mellow enough now that I could give him some control if you wanna talk to him.” Akaya couldn’t help smiling brightly at Sanada. She wasn’t afraid of him, she wasn’t treating him like a freak, she was just worried about his future.

“Does he have a name?” As much as she wished she had known about this two years ago, Sanada was determined to accept her kohai without question. After all, she was one of the ones guilty of encouraging the demon’s growth and actions.

With the blink of his eyes, Akaya let his demon surface. Visually, the only difference was that the boy looked like he’d gone into red-eye mode, but the voice was far more manic and had a gravelly tone to it. “The kid calls me Akaku, Sanada-anee~.”

Sanada’s frown deepened into a scowl. “Don’t call me that.”

Akaku grinned playfully, looking devious and innocent at the same time. “Don’t call you what, Anee?”

“Don’t call me Anee.”

“Aw, but why not? You’re the best Anee there is. Way better than our blood Nee-san.” The demon was more than aware of how cute his host was, and he had no qualms about taking full advantage of that.

Reaching behind her back, Sanada grabbed her pillow and swung it half-heartedly at Akaku. Hearing such a statement embarrassed her, especially since she had a tendency to think of Akaya as being like a younger brother to her. “At least give me time to get used to being a girl, first. Tarundoru.”

Having not really expected the pillow, Akaku squawked and toppled part-way over. “Ack! Why are you abusing me?”

“You call this abuse? I must have been too easy on you this last year.” She hadn’t thought she could do it, but Sanada actually found herself smiling playfully at Akaku.

“I made you smile! Yes~!” Akaku pumped a fist in the air at his victory. Scooting forward, he leaned in close and hugged Sanada again. “You’re really pretty when you smile, Anee.”

Sanada hesitated for a moment before returning the hug. “You know, for a demon, you’re pretty sweet. Not at all what I would have expected.”

Akaku blushed and snuggled into the hug. As nice as it was, he was just embarrassed enough to fade into the recesses of Akaya’s mind so that the boy was in control again. Since Akaya had been privy to the entire conversation, he just sighed happily and cuddled Sanada. “You give good hugs, Senpai.”

While the vocal shift back to Akaya’s more familiar voice was odd, Sanada didn’t recoil from him. “Thank you, Akaya. But let’s keep that as our secret, ok?”


End file.
